Method and device for inserting an airbag into a sheath

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for inserting a folded airbag into an oblong cover, which is characterized in that the airbag, before or during insertion, is compressed into an insertion tool and is then inserted into the oblong cover by means of said insertion tool.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2003/012738, filedNov. 14, 2003, which claims priority to German Application No. 102 55119.7, filed Nov. 26, 2002, both of which are incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a method and device for inserting anairbag into a sheath, as well as to a sheath produced thereby.

It is known for fitting e.g. side airbags in modules ready for vehicleinstallation to insert side airbags manually into tubes slittedlengthwise and adapted to the vehicle geometry and to provide thesetubes with a slotted cap which is jettisoned in airbag deployment. Thismethod is time-consuming and man-hour intensive and fails to alwaysguarantee a perfect placement of the airbag in the vehicle module. Apartfrom this, configuring the module component “ready to fit side airbag”with a slotted tube is costly and complicated.

The object of the invention is to propose a method and a device forinserting a folded airbag into a sheath which facilitates productionsafe in process in avoiding or at least greatly diminishing thedisadvantages as known in prior art. This object is solved by a methodas set forth in claim 1. With this method perfect placement of thefolded airbag in a sheath and thus also in the vehicle is achievablewith hardly any complication, as is of major significance for safedeployment of the airbag. In one advantageous further embodiment of theinvention the elongated sheath takes the form of a flattened tubularsheath, the one end of which is opened by means of an opener in thusfacilitating insertion of the inserter into the elongated sheath forcost-effective production.

The object is correspondingly achieved by a device as it reads fromclaim 5. With this device a perfect placement of the folded airbag inthe sheath and thus in the vehicle is achievable with little effort,especially when implementing the method as set forth in any of theclaims 1 to 4. This is of major significance for safe deployment of theairbag. Further features and advantages of the invention read from thesub-claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention it is briefly described byway of an example embodiment with reference to the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a highly simplified illustration of an example embodiment ofthe elements of a device for inserting the folded airbag into a sheathfollowing a folder,

FIG. 2 is an illustration showing one end of an elongated sheath withelements of the opener,

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a further opener for opening theelongated sheath over its full length,

FIG. 4 is a highly simplified illustration of a further exampleembodiment of elements of a device for inserting the folded airbag intoa sheath following a folder,

FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the device as shown in FIG. 4 afterinsertion of the airbag,

FIG. 6 is an illustration showing the device as shown in FIG. 4 afterwithdrawal of the sheath filled with the airbag as well as the same inthe withdrawn condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Both the FIGS. and an example of the sequence in the steps in the methodare described in the following. Referring now to FIG. 1 there isillustrated in the upper region a folder 1 furnishing the airbags foldedto a downstream swivel chute 3. The airbag 2 folded in the folder 1 orfolding machine and treated in a cooling section (not shown) isforwarded, i.e. shifted horizontally through sequences as usual in thefolder 1. At the end of a placement surface of the folding machine1—after the cooling section—the folded, relaxed airbag 2 slides by itsown weight down the swivel chute 3 up to a stopper 5 beam-monitored bytwo photoelectric cells (not shown).

The swivel chute 3 is elevated into a transfer position in which theairbag 2 is gripped and compressed by the gripper 4, after which theswivel chute 3 is lowered. The gripper 4 travels with the airbag 2horizontally from a receiving position and attains the transfer positionabove an inserter rail 6. The gripper 4 travels with the bag down intothe U-shaped inserter rail 6. The airbag 2 is relocated by ejectors (notshown) from the gripper 4 into the inserter rail 6, the gripper 4 thenreturning to the transfer position, after which the inserter rail 6 isinserted into the elongated sheath 8. In conclusion the airbag 2together with the tubular sheath 8 is withdrawn from the inserter rail 6where it can be deposited directly into a transport container (notshown).

The arrangement in accordance with the invention is, for instance,designed and attached to the folding machine 1 so that in the region ofthe cooling section (not shown) airbags can be placed by hand and fromthen on can be forwarded on the swivel chute 3. This possibility isprovided to enable airbags requiring stitching after folding to belikewise inserted into a tubular sheath 8 by this device.

Referring now to FIG. 2 there is illustrated one end 10 of the tubularsheath 8 which is opened by the rods 16 moved through openings 18arranged in the end 10 of the tubular sheath 8 in the direction of thearrows 20 to facilitate inserting the inserter rail 6. Referring now toFIG. 3 there is illustrated an opener 14 by way of example having twosemicircular split shells 15 in which ports 24 are incorporated throughwhich air can be evacuated from the space between the two halves in thedirection of the arrows 26 whilst approaching each other in thedirection of the arrows 28 in compressing the elongated sheath (tubularsheath 8) at its edges and opening it over its full length. The twolayers of fabric of the elongated sheath 8 are thereby moved up and downin the direction of the arrows 22 (as shown in FIG. 3).

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is illustrated a further exampleembodiment of a device for implementing a further example embodiment ofthe method in accordance with the invention as it reads from claims 12to 15. Evident is a driver 60 for reciprocating a gripper 34horizontally lengthwise. The gripper 34, powered by the driver 60 viapivoting means running in this case, for example, in a rectangularinserter rail 36—which may also be round or polygonal—grips a fastenertab 62 of an airbag 32. The illustration of the device as shown in FIG.4 depicts a condition in which an elongated sheath 38 is already slippedonto the inserter rail 36 shown rectangular in FIG. 4, this being ofcourse prior to a funnel 35 being attached to the inserter rail 36. Thegripper 34 grips the airbag 32 by a fastener tab 62 provided at its endon the left as shown in FIG. 4 and draws the airbag into the inserterrail 36 with lateral compression.

Referring now to FIG. 5 there is illustrated the situation in which theairbag 32 is already drawn into the rectangular inserter rail 36 in thusbeing located within the elongated sheath 38. Referring now to FIG. 6there is illustrated the condition in which the elongated sheath 38together with the airbag 32 located therein has been withdrawn from theinserter rail 36. The funnel 35 is shown in FIG. 6 already removeddownwards from the inserter rail 36 to prepare the inserter rail 36 forthe next elongated sheath 38 to be slipped thereon.

As clearly evident from the illustration as shown in FIG. 4 moving thegripper 34 together with the airbag 32 in the direction of the arrow tothe left compresses the airbag through the funnel 35 whilst being drawninto the inserter rail 36. Expediently the airbag 32 is held inreadiness already folded and precompressed by a preparation unit (notshown). The illustration as shown in FIG. 6 gives the first impressionof the driver 60 and inserter rail 36 being a stationary arrangementfrom which the elongated sheath 38 together with the airbag 32 iswithdrawn. To the same effect, however, the elongated sheath 38 with theairbag 32 can also be held stationary and the driver 60 together withthe inserter rail withdrawn from the elongated sheath in a simplekinematic reversal as may prove more expedient for this or thatparticular application. The funnel 35 as shown in FIG. 6 needs to beremoved from the inserter rail 36, of course, before removing theelongated sheath 38 together with the airbag 32 therefrom, as can bedone manually or also by an automatic device (not shown). Since theperson skilled in the art is well acquainted with a means ofopen/closed-loop control of the device in accordance with the inventionas described and of the method involved as explained, such means are notelaborated.

1. A method for inserting a folded airbag into an elongated sheath, themethod comprising the airbag before or during placement in an insertionaid is compressed and then inserted into the elongated sheath by theinsertion aid.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, for inserting afolded airbag into an elongated sheath comprising the steps: a) grippingthe airbag with a gripper; b) compressing the airbag; c) inserting theairbag into an insertion aid in the form of a U-shaped inserter rail; d)inserting the U-shaped inserter rail into the elongated sheath; and e)retaining the airbag in the elongated sheath whilst withdrawing theinserter rail from the elongated sheath.
 3. The method as set forth inclaim 1, wherein the flattened tubular sheath is used as the elongatedsheath, the one end of which is opened by an opener.
 4. The method asset forth in claim 1, wherein the flattened tubular sheath is used asthe elongated sheath which is opened over its full length by an opener.5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein the opener sucks the twolayers of the flattened tubular sheath away from each other in therebyopening the flattened tubular sheath.
 6. The method as set forth inclaim 1, further comprising a device for inserting the folded airbaginto the elongated sheath, the device comprising: a) a gripper; b) aninserter rail; and c) a retainer for retaining the airbag in theelongated sheath while the inserter rail is being extracted from theelongated sheath.
 7. A device for inserting a folded side airbag into anelongated sheath, the device comprising: a) a gripper; b) an inserterrail; and c) a retainer for retaining the airbag in the elongated sheathwhile the inserter rail is being extracted from the elongated sheath. 8.The device as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an opener withwhich one end of the elongated sheath is employed as the flattenedtubular sheath can be opened.
 9. The device as set forth in claim 7,further comprising an opener with which the elongated sheath is employedas a flattened tubular sheath which can be opened full-length.
 10. Thedevice as set forth in claim 9, wherein the opener comprises a suctiondevice by means of which the two layers of the flattened tubular sheathare sucked away from each other in thereby opening the flattened tubularsheath.
 11. The device of claim 7, further comprising an elongatedsheath made of non-woven, knitted or woven material being componentedwith a folded airbag.
 12. A method for inserting a folded airbag into anelongated sheath, the method comprising: a) slipping the elongatedsheath over an insertion aid in the form of a round rectangular orpolygonal inserter rail; b) gripping the airbag with a gripper; c)inserting the airbag in the inserter rail and compressing the airbag viaa funnel; and d) retaining the airbag in the elongated sheath whilewithdrawing the inserter rail from the elongated sheath.
 13. The methodas set forth in claim 12, wherein a flattened tubular sheath is used asthe elongated sheath, the one end of which is opened by an opener. 14.The method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising a flattenedtubular sheath is used as the elongated sheath which is opened over itsfull length by an opener.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 14,wherein the opener sucks the two layers of the flattened tubular sheathaway from each other in thereby opening the flattened tubular sheath.16. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a device forinserting the folded airbag into the elongated sheath, the devicecomprising: a) a gripper; b) a round, rectangular or polygonal inserterrail; and c) a retainer for retaining the airbag in the elongated sheathwhile the inserter rail is being extracted from the elongated sheath.17. The method of claim 12, further comprising inserting the foldedairbag into the elongated sheath with: a) a gripper; b) an inserterrail; and c) a retainer for retaining the airbag in the elongated sheathwhile the inserter rail is being extracted from the elongated sheath.18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising an openerwith which one end of the elongated sheath is employed as the flattenedtubular sheath which can be opened.
 19. The method as set forth in claim17, further comprising an opener with which the elongated sheathemployed as the flattened tubular sheath can be opened full-length. 20.The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the opener which comprisesa suction device by means of which the two layers of the flattenedtubular sheath are sucked away from each other in thereby opening theflattened tubular sheath.